Devices commonly known as cable protectors or cable covers used to protect cables, cords, hoses, pipes or other elongated objects from traffic damage are well known. These devices are positioned over road and other surfaces and incorporate one or more channels or cavities accommodating the elongated objects to be protected.
Common materials employed to manufacture cable protectors include rubber, polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane. Rubber and PVC protectors offer longer sections of up to twelve feet in length. The stronger polyurethane protectors typically come in three feet long interlocking sections. Softer and more flexible material such as rubber and PVC can conform to the curved road surface (for drainage), therefore are not susceptible to dislocation by vehicle traffic, and can be offered in longer lengths. The stronger materials such as polyurethane are more rigid, therefore the cable protector must be in shorter segments so that the protector can conform better to the curved road surface. To hold the many small sections together, interlocking joints are built into both ends of each section, which significantly add to cost. In general, currently available cable protectors function rather well within their respective loading classification but with one major short coming: high cost. A protector for medium traffic load on a small residential street (about 20 feet wide) can cost as much as one thousand dollars or more.
The state of the prior art is exemplified by the following United States patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,266, issued Jul. 7, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,565, issued Mar. 20, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,036, issued Nov. 19, 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,410, issued Dec. 31, 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,822, issued Mar. 17, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 6,878,881, issued Apr. 12, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 6,747,212, issued Jun. 8, 2004, U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,186, issued Jun. 10, 1975, U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,967, issued Jun. 29, 1976, U.S. Pat. No. 2,299,356, issued Oct. 20, 1942, U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,370, issued Dec. 12, 1967, U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,385, issued Oct. 31, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,458, issued Feb. 6, 1996, U.S. Design Pat. No. D412,490, issued Aug. 3, 1999, U.S. Design Pat. No. D418,818, issued Jan. 11, 2000, U.S. Design Pat. No. D429,695, issued Aug. 22, 2000, U.S. Design Pat. No. D436,578, issued Jan. 23, 2001 and U.S. Design Pat. No. D437,832, issued Feb. 20, 2001. Exemplary of commercially available cable protectors are those made available under the Linebacker trademark by CableRamps.com of Phoenix, Ariz. and the Megaduct cover made by Geist Manufacturing, Inc., of Lincoln, Nebr.